Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Housekeeping Note: Why I Banned a Commenter Here Recently

A housekeeping note: I think it's important that I tell you readers that I banned a commenter here after he attacked me in the discussion threads here one time too many a day or so ago. This is a recurring attack-commenter here. I've let him lob his little missiles up to now, in the hope that he'd 1) grow up, 2) have the decency to acknowledge who he is publicly (I know his identity), 3) stop, or 4) go away.

Because he's not here to carry on a conversation: he's here to attack. . . . He's here to attack me personally.

I have no idea why he's interested in mounting such an attack and really don't care. I've never met the fellow. I have met the type, however. We who grow up knowing we are "different" in terms of gender conformity learn to spot bullies a mile away. Bullies enjoy trying to make other people feel little, from the security of the thicket in which they themselves hide.

Bullying is a disconcerting quality to find in someone who is a minister of the gospel, though, Lord knows, many a man of the cloth seems to gravitate to the cloth precisely because it gives him wide latitude to bully others. I worry about the wives of such men, and wonder why men like this who are not ordained clergy in non-Catholic churches have so much invested in weighing in on intra-Catholic discussions to defend right-wing Catholic teachings about gender and sexuality. I do, of course, have some pretty good ideas about why they have invested so much in defending Catholic teachings that place men above women and privilege heterosexual people above homosexual ones.

In the case of this particular troll, I'd say part of the bee buzzing in the bonnet right now is my criticism of those who voted for and support Donald Trump. In case you follow comments here and saw this person mount another attack a day or so ago, then saw me reply to him, and see that he has fallen silent, I wanted to let you know: I have banned him from commenting and noted in doing so that he's trolling this site.

The graphic is a photo entitled "Ein Kleiner Troll im Museum," taken by Simone, who has uploaded it to Wikimedia with a Creative Commons license allowing it to be shared online. The museum housing this piece of art is in Holmenkollen, Norway.

"We need, in every community, a group of angelic troublemakers." Bayard Rustin, Quaker gay activist

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About Me

I'm a theologian who writes about the interplay of belief and culture. My husband Steve (also a theologian) and I are now in our 47th year together. Though the church has discarded us (and here, here, here, and here) because we insist on being truthful about our shared life, we continue to celebrate the amazing grace we find in our journey together and love for each other.
We live in hope; we remain on pilgrimage....
A note about my educational background: I have a Ph.D. and M.A. in theology from Univ. of St. Michael's College, Toronto School of Theology; an M.A. in English from Tulane Univ.; and a B.A. in English from Loyola, New Orleans.